The Beta
by Issue No 2708786
Summary: ...
1. What Is Happening?

Captain Monkey D Luffy of the Straw-Hat Pirates stared out of the window of the Crow's Nest, seeing of the black sea and the starry night sky. It was a cold night, his breath kept streaming up the window making him wipe in now and again.

His mind drifted back to the time when he had to be outside and keep watch; Going Merry Gou's Crow's Nest was small and open, but he did love those nights. Luffy moved away from the window, and glanced around the library like room and smiled, he wanted a big ship but Thousand Sunny Gou really out did everything he dreamed about.

Luffy stood and stretched his arms above his head, he did not know why he seem did this after all these years of being a rubberman, it did nothing for him. No matter how much he stretched out like he seen others do when tried or how he remembered it from his youth, it did not work.

Slowly he stood and walked around for a bit, again why he did not know; he could sat in one place for hours and not lose the circulation of his legs. He snickered to himself remembering that sometimes he would do small stretches in front of his emery as he readied himself.

Luffy yawned loudly and glanced towards the clock on the wall and frowned, the second hand on the clock's face had stopped moving. And could it did been that time the last time he looked.

Luffy came forward, standing on the chair and tapped the clock. He then leaned over and placed his ear against it, there was not sound.

"Not working, huh?" Luffy said with a tired voice. Jumping off the chair he made his way over to the desk to see the clock there. "I'm sure Usopp should be taking over from me now!" He mumbled as he flopped down in the desk's chair and glanced at the clock there. "What?! This one too!"

Luffy blinked at the desk's clock, it was stopped at the same clock as the clock on the wall.

Moaning lightly with a pout he pulled himself away and headed for the window again, wanting to check the seas one more time before going down and getting Usopp.

With his face almost pushed against the glass, he stared out blinking; seeing nothing he moved away and walked over to the next window and did the same; only time he sighed heavily against the glass.

"Huh?" Luffy mumbled out as he saw that no stream fogged up the glass; he leaned forward, opened mouth and breathe hard. Nothing!

Blinking in confusion he stared at the glass, his eyes slowly widen as he noticed his reflection was no longer there.

"Vampire!" Luffy shouted the first thing that came to mind, "I'm a vampire! How did this happen? I didn't fall asleep for one to bite me or something!"

Luffy turned around the room, glancing at everything to see if there was anything out of place or a vampire was hiding. It was then he saw it, at the window he had last been sitting at was himself sleeping against the window.

Hurrying over to his other self and leaned only while blinking close to his face. It was his face, no doubt around that, it was him in every sharp and form. Luffy stood back looking around seeing if anyone was not him.

It was silent. Too silent, he could not hear the cold wind blow on the glass or the wind blowing his pirate flag above, nor the waves crashing on Sunny's side. He could not even hear his own breathing nor the other him.

"What's this? What's this?" Luffy said more awake now, he rushed to the window and carefully gazed at the sea below. The waters were not moving.

Black.

Everything turned black; Luffy blinked through the darkness around him and held up his arms, trying to feel the side of Sunny. He took a step forward and then another and another, soon he was walking with his arms out in front of himself.

A loud clicking sound was coming...from his right, then from his left no wait, a beeping sound came from his left. A low hum came from above and from below was a tapping noise.

It stopped.

Luffy frowned deeply, or at least he thought he was frowning. He could not feel himself, something was a dull numb feeling all over.

As if someone lifted a curtain the darkness was pulled away, upwards and out of sight. Luffy blinked slowly; he was standing in the same place he had started from, with his other self sitting by the window.

The only difference now was that he could hear the clock, hear the wind and the sea, feel the water rocking his ship gently and feel the coldness in the air.

The door opened and Luffy turned and saw Usopp walking onto the room, he walked right up to Luffy's other self, not seeing him there, and shook his shoulders.

The other Luffy blinked awake and just stared blankly up at Usopp, his face void of all emotion.

"Sorry Luffy," He could hear Usopp say, "I'm a bit late, you can go to bed now."

The other Luffy just sat there staring at Usopp, Luffy walked round and watched the lifeless eyes that were his.

"Oi Luffy?" Usopp said as he leaned forward and place a hand on his shoulder again, as if trying to wake him some more, "You can go to bed now, unless to you to sleep here?"

Luffy turned to Usopp and tried to touched him, his hand fell right through. Luffy grinned at this and did it again, the stood in front of the marksman and stuck his tongue out at him. Pulling away he laughed loudly and fell backwards onto the seat.

Luffy frowned at this.

"I can go through Usopp, but I can't go through the Crow's Nest seat?" He asked on one with a pout, he turned where he was sitting and stared at himself. Usopp had walked away saying something under his breath and sat on another window seat, staring out of the window.

"Am I dead?" Luffy asked himself as he stared at the dull eyes, "No, I wouldn't be here if I was dead! So," He thought about it some more, "Someone stolen my body!"

Luffy placed his hand on his chin and rubbed, it was then he noticed he could not feel. His skin was normally a odd mix of softness and roughness, but there was nothing. He suddenly grabbed his chin and pulled. Nothing happened.

"OI!" Luffy shouted at his body as it got up and started walking towards the door, "Give me back my body!" Luffy noticed not that he was floating, and being pulled lightly along where his body was going. There was nothing he could do but float there, he tried to pull away and stay in the room but he went right through the door.

"So I can go through doors?" Luffy asked confused as he chose to float and watch the body stealer instead, he watched as it down the mast and headed for the men's dorm, yawning slightly as it pushed open the door and went to bed.

**XD ~ DX**

This was the worst...

Luffy was floating above the breakfast staring longingly at it, but could not touch it. The body stealer was eating it's own eat on the plate and never took from the others.

"Why ain't you said anything!?" Luffy shouted at his crew from above, he crossed his legs and arms and floated there. Everybody was eating and talking as they normally did, not one made mention of their captain's odd behaver.

Luffy held his stomach, he was not hungry at all. But that was not the point, he _wanted_ the food.

He glared down at his body; It had a grin across it's face yet no joy shone in it's eyes, those dull lifeless eyes stared at the meal before them like it was nothing.

Luffy was already sick of this, if he would escape the bounds to his body and float around Sunny, that would have been fine but he was stuck and left to think about where he was; it just was not any fun.

Sanji began to clear the plates away, even Luffy's half eaten meal without question. The last of the Straw-Hat Pirates one by one started to leave their seats and go to their daily lives. Luffy blinked as he saw Sanji was frozen.

Sanji was frozen completely as he looked down at the half eaten plate of food.

"Something wrong, Sanji-kun?" Nami said as she moved over to him the others turned her way, "You look like you have seen a ghost."

"Nami-san..." Sanji said as sweat formed at the side of his face, he opened his mouth and he appeared to have something stuck in his throat before finding some words,"Does Luffy always eat this much?"

Nami open her mouth to answer, but no sound came out. Frowning she turned again and once more nothing came up, she held her neck and rubbed it slightly.

"Luffy eats this much everyday!" Nami said as her face changed into one of confusion, "Why do you ask Sanji-kun?"

"No reason..." The chef said as he looked down at the plate again and moved, making his way to the kitchen. While all this was going on, not once did the pair look down at their captain who was still at his seat.

Luffy watched as the body seemed to darken slightly, before returning to normal. For a moment Luffy thought he saw Nami's eyes widen but it was to quickly to tell. She turned and walked towards the door,

"Oh Luffy we all going to the Crow's Nest to talk about our next stop." Nami said as she reached the door, she paused there taking one last careful look, before walking out the door, she looked like she had wanted to say more.

"Oi! Body stealer!" Luffy shouted at himself, and came to stand beside it, "I don't want you to have my hat! Give it to someone else!" His body stood move, walking slowly for the door.

Luffy heard footsteps and turned to see Sanji coming back, he walked passed his body as if he did not see him there and went right out the door. Luffy gritted his teeth as he floated along, feeling the need to punch something anything! But knew that nothing would come of it.

At last his body reached the Crow's Nest, the crew seemed to have already began walking without him. Luffy frowned deeply at this, he was the one they all waited for, even if he listened or not.

Luffy's body sat in the same place as the night before, staring dully at the crew as they chatted together. None talked to him, or even glanced his way to see what was the matter.

"Give one, anyone my hat!" Luffy growled into his own ear, he tried to grabbed his shoulders but like Usopp he went right through.

'..._is that really what you want for now_...'

Luffy blinked at the sound of a familiar voice but he was sure he never heard this voice before, so how could he be familiar to him.

Luffy blinked again, this time through his our eyes. He glanced down at his hands, and stood he began to walk towards his crew. He felt like he was walking in water, each step was hard to take. He made to Nami, who was still talking about the next island and never seeing him there.

"Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook." Luffy said with a chocked voice, he took hold of his hat and place it upon Nami's hat and grinning boldly he went of to say, "I seemed to be going away for a bit. But I'll be back. _Shishishishi_~"

"Did you say something Luffy?" Nami asked as she at last turned to him, Luffy blinked lifelessly at her. Luffy was once again floating above them.

"No," Came the flat voice of Luffy, "Nothing at all _Captain_..." The whole room became silent like everyone there forgotten how to breathe, making Luffy above frowned.

Nami suddenly looked like she was going to cry, then it happened; tears formed in her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Luffy floated downwards and landed at her side, wondering what was wrong.

"Well listen carefully, we will reaching land by this afternoon." Nami said as she the tears seem fell, yet her face was a commanding one.

Luffy turned to the rest of his crew mates, those too looked like they were fighting against something.

"Wait! Could the same thing be happening to them?!" Luffy asked aloud as he glanced around the room, seeing if his crew was floating somewhere there.

'….._no just you_...'

Luffy blinked, then looked around angrily trying to see the one who spoke, "Show yourself!" Luffy roared to the one who spoke.

'…._soon...we...need to see …...default program is_ ….._just a little while longer_...'

Luffy did not understand a word, but something was wrong with him and his crew. He felt himself being pulled again as his body moved away from the group. Sighing he suddenly felt sleepy, very sleepy...


	2. I Am Who?

A/N: Mentions of other anime/games.

**XD ~ DX**

Luffy blinked against the light that was shining in his eyes, he tried to moved away but found that his head was fixed into place. Frowning slightly he tried to move his body, it heavy as he laid on something soft.

The light went away, but his vision was blurred. There was many people standing around his bed, was it his bed...it did not feel like the thing he normally slept on.

Blinking he tried to see, no matter how hard he blinked or squeezed his eyes at remained the same. Movement caused his eye, and he tried to turn to see. Their arms were out stretched towards him, holding something to his face.

'Glasses?' Luffy thought as they came nearer, the frames and the glass got clearer and clearer as they drew close. Then they were pushed onto his face, and sat on his nose. For the first time he could see the people in the room with him; they all wore white lab coats, all had clipboards in their hands while watching his every move.

"Good morning!" A cheerful voice came, as she took her arms away from his head. She stood up straight and put her hands behind her back as she moved back, only slightly. "I'm going to ask you a few question, and I want you to answer the best you can. I will ask the same question until I get what I want to hear. Do you understand?"

"Mmmm..." Luffy mumbled blinked behind the thick glass, he saw the people all around him held black sticks in their hands and were pointing them at him

"What is your name?" The woman asked sweetly as she stared at him with a smile.

"Monkey D Luffy." Luffy answered right, his voice sounded a little odd to his ears.

"How old are you?" The woman asked just as sweetly, still smiling.

"Nineteen." Luffy answered again, however something felt wrong.

"What do you do for a living?" The woman asked smiling down, waiting for his relpy.

"I am a pirate." Luffy answered with a grin, and laughed as best he could.

"Are you a man or woman?" The woman asked him as she turned to some of the people, who were looking on with interest. She frowned at them, and waved her hand for them to move back.

"Man." Luffy answered again, but something again was nagging at him; whispering other things.

"Do you know who I am?" The woman asked as she kindly leaned forwards and started touching something above Luffy's head. A beep sound was heard.

"No...?" Luffy said while blinking some more, he was not sure how to give an answer to that.

"What is your name?" The woman asked again, and stared with that same smile but a look cross her eyes, she was asking for something else. "Think for a moment, then give me an answer."

Luffy blinked as he thought about his own name, 'I am Luffy! The man-' He blinked and frowned deeply another name was appearing, 'Luffy, I'm a pirate...right...' He turned to the woman, who was staring at something above his head, he then looked to others. These were looking between him and the something above his head.

"What is your name?" The woman asked again, as she turned to him with a smile.

"Kuririn?" Luffy asked as he blinked at her blankly, he was not sure but that name just popped in there.

"Haha...your wife will be happy you used that!" The woman laughed as she turned the ones in white coats with a smile and raised her eyebrow, "But I need your birth name, not your account name."

"Account name?" Luffy asked as he frowned, different information began to enter his brain slowly he began to make sense of things.

"What is your name?" The woman quickly asks again when she saw the signs of realization upon his face.

"Mayumi." Luffy said with a smile now, feeling a lot calmer. "My name is Mayumi."

"How old are you, Mayumi?" The woman said as she leaned forward and started clicking some buttons, checking the brain reading.

"Seventeen, I'll be eighteen of August this year," Luffy replied as he felt his body becoming more and more alive.

"What do you do for a living, Mayumi?"The woman asked with a bright smile this time, happy that he had given such an answer.

"I am a beta tester for the new sleep line game, Dream Cube." Luffy said as his memory began to return, "A new technology in a way of gaming, where the dreamer sleeps and plays out a life." Luffy thought for a moment, "This new program allowed the brain to move at a fast pace, for a year in the game an hour goes pass in Real Time."

"And are you a male or female?" The woman asks again, seemingly very pleased at his word.

"I am female...I play male characters," Luffy said with a laugh, then managed to lift up a hand and wiggle it in front of her face.

"Do you know who I am?" The woman asked with a smile as she reached for something above Luffy's head.

"You are Shiro," Luffy smiled as her head was freed from the heavy head gear, "The doctor who oversees the dreamer aka me." Luffy slowly sat up on her own strength which for some reason surprised her. "How long have I been In Game?"

"Twenty-seven hours." Shiro said smiling as she turned and clapped her hands together gaining the attention who those watching them, "You can where now, Doctor Rice next door is about to wake the next beta."

Luffy watched as the men and women began to leave, they all looked like they wanted to talk to her.

"Mayumi, how are you feeling?" Shiro asked as she sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over.

"Good...It is strange," Luffy said as she began to lean forward and stared down at her legs, "It really does feel like a lifetime since I last saw you."

"Yes. Because you have been." Shiro said sighing and run a hand through her brown hair, "Any questions?"

"You said twenty-seven hours right?" Luffy asked and waited for the other woman to nod, "But I- ah, I mean my character Luffy should be that age too."

"Yes, well...you spent playing for right over nineteen hours," Shiro answered as she sighed once again, "But the last eight we switched over to Real Time. We had a glitch and needed all betas out as quickly as we could."

"What happened then?" Luffy asked frowning, as she gripped her covers, "This World, One Piece has been running smoothly for ten months at Game Speed with non players and with no trouble."

"We have you tell you, since that was the agreement of the betas..." Shiro said as she glared towards the doors, then with a low voice said, "We think that someone tried to hack."

"Hack!" Luffy hissed through her teeth, and quickly looked around the room. "How is that possible!?"

"No one knows..." Shiro leaned forward wanting no one to hear, "We are checking if any of the beta could have done this, but you know this new program, it seals off the players memory. And with no log in screen or any screen of any kind. There is no way any can get in and discover."

"Why tell me?" Luffy asked smiling as she leaned back in her bed, but frowned as she hit against the head gear.

"You are almost famous," Shiro said with a grin, "You were one of the players to the first Drive Game: Dragon Ball's Kuririn! A lot of people trust and are happy that you are here!"

"Thank you, but it is my friend who laid the path," Luffy said proudly with a bold grin, "I only followed on that path."

"You are making a path for Piece One!" Shiro said with excitement shining in her eyes, "This has never been done before! Blocking out memories of real life and living in game for so many hours and being there for years at a time. We may even pushed the limit and years become minutes, think of how many games to can play in that time!"

Luffy laughed at the older woman's joy, this was a break through. And a new way to play for gamers. There were Game Centre where anyone can go into a new world, Dragon Ball was the grandfather of this all. A fighting game where playing battled it out, however it was all in real time and feeling were dull.

"I'm going to leave you to your thoughts," Shiro said as she suddenly moved away from the bed and walked towards the door, "We can talk later. Also call your wife, she has been bugging me the whole day you were In Game."

Luffy smiled and waved, watching as she left the room. The thought of calling 18 his In Game wife in Dragon Ball did not sat well with him, she never wanted him to go into other games. She glanced behind and smiled once she saw the head hear had been moved, she did not see here Shrio moved the thing; Luffy allowed her thought to recap on her life.

Dragon Ball was first Game where player could go 'into' the game. Using the Cocoon Gear, that were in the Centres; however many people were willing when it first came out eight years ago, and she was one of the first.

So that people knew how safe the system was, the player could allow themselves to be watched by the outside world. Goku became the one to watch, he grow in the game like no other and got to have many friends while there. Luffy then Kuririn just happened to be paired up with him while learning the basics.

Time did move differently, but only between AI and Players. The years were marked as months, and characters grow up in no time. The AI of the Dragon Ball world knew that they were data, and kept to their roles.

One Piece and it's rival Ninja Warriors, were the first Game to have the AI who know nothing about their world being nothing but data. Also the player themselves did not know that they were players.

The beta in Ninja Warriors were building their own history, and many beta flocked to this; getting a chance to make a name for themselves like Goku of Dragon Ball.

The Beta for One Piece started ten months ago and ran on the new speed setting of make a history for itself from the AI; no one could ever dream the AI to come out like they did. Their data was nothing like anyone had ever seen and they breed new Ais. The whole of One Piece began a new world, with it's own people.

Last month they switched to Real Time and let four beta into that world. They completely shook up the place.

And to make the game more interesting, the next beta players were to start as a baby with memories sealed of the real life. Because of the time difference they wanted to see if this could be done. This was something else that other game ideas were coming up with. If this could happen, those who dreamed of having a good life could game so in a game for twenty-four hours or forty-eight hours.

Luffy leaned further into her bed, and messed around with the screen trying to get her wife's number to come up.

18 was an AI she married as Kuririn, but since learning where her husband really disappeared to and that she was able to contact him from the world, she always checked up on him.

"I haven't the heart to tell 18 I'm really a seventeen year old girl..." Luffy said with a laugh, as the screen turned a bright blue and a sign came out. Luffy blinked being able to talk to AI from In Game only happened last year, the person on the other end however, would only saw them as they know them. "All 18 will see in a middle aged man, who is her husband."

"Kuririn." Luffy's wife growled down the phone, "What's wrong, why are you calling so early?"

"Shishishishi!" Luffy grinned at the image of a blonde haired blue eyed woman, "Sorry, but something did happen. I'm calling to say that everything is fine with me."

"You sound different..." 18 said frowning deeply as she studied the image in front of her, "And what is with that laugh? You sound like an moron."

"Thanks, and I'm still in my new character." Luffy said blankly and wondered how 18 saw her husband looking at her expressionless.

"So your new character is an moron?" 18 asked as she reached for something out of the screen's vision, "When will you be home?"

"My new character has not died yet," Luffy said with a kind smile, trying to get back into Kuririn's character, "I will call again before we first go in again, I can only return once I'm dead. But it's only been a day..or two since, I last talked to you. How are my two favourite girls?"

18 who had her arms crossed and looking sour, suddenly smiled at him at the mention of their daughter who was an AI like herself. For an AI 18 was oddly attached to both Kuririn and their daughter.

"She doing well," 18 said with a smile as she leaned forward, her hard blue eyes soften greatly showing Luffy a face only for her. "She also misses her daddy. She going to upset that she missed your call."

"Mmm...sorry sorry," Luffy said with a smile and bow to the head, "I never knew I would be able to talk to you so soon ever. I'll make it up to the both of you once I return."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later." 18 said as she leaned forward and turned off the screen.

Luffy smiled as she leaned back on the bed, the need to continue playing there since she still felt like Luffy rather than anyone else.

Luffy thought about something, what happened to data of the old AI one they died. Did they get deleted or did they had moved to an 'afterlife' like they do with Dragon Ball.

"I should have rules more on the AI on things." Luffy said with a sigh, "I could have found out what happened to my brothers when they died." Another thought entered into her mind, "I could seen if 18 could come in with me as well...maybe not...much too powerful for that world. Shishishi."


End file.
